As I left my season at Yellowstone it was a beautiful fall day, September 25, 2006. I could not have asked for better weather to travel. I was leaving the the same way as I had arrived by the south entrance. I wanted to see the Tetons one more time! I don't think I would ever get tired of looking at them. I pulled off at the first pull off I could find to enjoy the sight one more time!
The Aspen had turned a beautiful gold and the lake had a low hanging cloud over it. There was hardly any traffic on the road so I had plenty of time to meander and enjoy the trip. When I reached Moran Junction I took a left toward my destination for the day of Riverton, Wyoming. I was a little concerned as I would be going over Togwotee Pass a high of 9658 ft. It was a beautiful drive and the pass was easy! I was in the Wind River range of the Rocky Mountains. After I went down the other side of the pass the road began to level off. By the time I reached Dubois I was out of the mountains....it was kind of sad to leave them behind. I had decided to stay a the Wind River RV park in Riverton. This RV park is only 38 spaces but they are all pull thrus. There are also storage units on the grounds. When I told the man checking me in that I was coming from a season of working in Yellowstone he would not let me pay for my site! He said if it were not for the tourist going and coming from Yellowstone and the Tetons he would not have any business. It was his way of saying thanks by not charging workers going and coming from there! Wow! How blessed I was...I stayed 2 nights and he would not take any payment from me. I made sure he knew how much I appreciated his generosity! I did my laundry while I was there just to make sure I put at least a little something in his pocket! It was a nice clean quite park and I would stay there again even if I had to pay!
From there I took US 26 to Casper. The weather was not as pretty on this day. I ran into rain before I reached Casper. I had no complaints about the road. It was a good wide two lane for the most part with very little traffic. I stopped and got gas in Casper. At Casper I got onto I 25 the traffic was really heavy for awhile. One of the reasons I don't like interstates is heavy traffic! Once I got out of Casper the traffic thinned some. I left the interstate at exit 92 and headed toward Scottsbluff on US 26 again. The weather was still overcast and windy. I decided to stop for the night at a Passport America park between Fort Laramie and Lingle. It was the Pony Soldier RV park. Well, after talking to the lady who checked me in I decided to spend another night there so I could go see Ft Laramie! I had not even realized there was an actual Fort in the area until I passed through town. This was turning into a really neat trip! Wow Ft Laramie is worth going to see! I was amazed to learn how large it wasback in the day!
The enlisted mens barracks!
Officers quarters.
Jail cell! I wouldn't want to spend time here!
In my opinion Ft Laramie is one of the best of the forts I have seen....maybe I will have to try to see all the rest one of these days! It is certainly worth a vist. I was blessed with really beautiful weather on the day I visited the Fort. I love traveling in the "off" season when the kids are back in school. Most of the attractions are usually pretty quite!
The main reason I had decided to take this route home to Texas was I wanted to see Scottsbluff. While I passed within 50 miles of it on my way to Yellowstone I did not think I had time to go there. I had always wanted to see Scottsbluff. It was one of the landmarks pioneers looked for as they traveled west. I was a little concerned when I turned off Hwy 26 unto the road leading to the National Monument as there was road construction. Pulling a trailer through road construction is not always easy and when it is on a fairly narrow 2 lane road it can be an adventure! I was borrowing trouble as I turned before the road really narrowed down for the construction. Wow Scottsbluff is really something to behold. I could not get it all into one picture!
Okay this is still not all of it but I think you get the idea! I wanted to go to the top but alas I was pulling the trailer and you can't go to the top with a tow. I still had over a hundred miles to go so I decided not to take the time to drop the trailer and go to the top. Hey you have to save something to see next time, right? I got back on Hwy 26 and followed it all the way to North Platte. I could have gotten on the Interstate at Ogallala but decided not to. I enjoyed the drive through the little towns that you don't see from an interstate. Once again I stayed at the Holiday RV Park in North Platte. I called Dot and she and Katie decided to come up to see me the next day. We enjoyed the visit once again. So I ended up staying 2 nights in North Platte also.
When I was breaking camp in North Platte I noticed an older couple in a class B motorhome getting ready to leave also. Later that day I saw them pass me. I pulled over at a roadside park but was not able to stop and noticed them again. Between Kearney and Gibbon I ran across the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. Okay now this is just plain odd!
Never could figure out what the purpose was!
I tried for another roadside park as Ellie and I really needed a break. Well when we pulled in the only spot we could find was to parallel between a couple of eighteen wheelers! Well there was no on there to tell me I couldn't do it so I put it in there between them! Whew, we needed that break.
Shortly after getting back on the interstate that little Class B passed again.
I had planned to spend the night at the Double Nickel Campground, a Passport America park, near Waco, Nebraska. As I pulled in I discovered the little Class B there. When I got in line behind the older couple at the desk the man turned to me and said "weren't you in the RV park we stayed in last night?" I told him yes I was. Well, it seems I really impressed him! He went on an on about how well I handled my rig! He wife finally pulled him out of the office. This is a neat little park right off of a golf course! I ended up spending 2 nights here also. It sure is nice not to have a set schedule! I was heading to Omaha to visit with a friend of mine from Adventureland days. I was not enjoying Intestate 80 it very bumpy. Well at least it seemed that way with my rig. I went through road construction in Lincoln and after that some people pulled up next to me on the interstate and said I had a pipe hanging down on the rear of my trailer. UH OH! Well I don't usually stop on the side of the interstate but I could not see an exit in sight so I pulled over to the edge. Well, when I got out and looked I discovered that the end cap to my sewer hose storage in the bumper had come off and my hose had dropped out and came loose as I stopped. I had to walk back to get it...can't litter! Kind of scary out there on the side of the interstate but I was glad it was just a hose and not really a pipe! My destination on this day was Offut AFB famcamp. As the ex spouse of a retired Air Force reservist I am entitled to use these. Well I got to the camp ok but then I needed to go pay the fees on base....I could not go in the back gate because I did not have a sticker on my truck. So I was told to go to the main gate on the other side of the base. When I got there I was told I needed to go to a gate I had passed on the way to the main gate! I was able to get a pass there and get to the Rec building to pay my camp fees! Finally I was all set. I asked if there was a short way back to the Famcamp and was told yes, take a right out of the parking lot. Well, low and behold the back gate was only about 1/2 a mile away! Gee, if I had known I could have walked that far!
I stayed there several days and Margaret and I had a good time catching up! Then it was back on the road heading to Texas. I took US 75 out of Omaha and headed south. I spent the night at the Crossroads RV park near Lyndon, Kansas. It also was a Passport America park. When I checked in the man asked me if I was going to a womens rally as he had several other single ladies come through in the past week headed to a rally. I discovered that my cell phone did not work in the area. A little bit of a problem since I call one of my family members every evening to let them know I have arrived at my destination for the night. I had Wifi service and was able to get in touch with Lisa so all was well! It was really a nice campground if a little off the beaten path! Ahhh the joys of traveling the back roads of America! The next day was overcast and I ran into rain in Tulsa Oklahoma! I managed to get lost there too! There had been an accident and a truck was hanging off one of the bridges! It was near where I needed to exit so I missed my turn. I had a GPS on my computer and it was able to get me back on route. For awhile I thought I was going to end up going to Oklahoma City! Not where I wanted to go! I spent the night at McAlester, Oklahoma that the Super 8 & Valley Inn RV Park. It is a nice enough park but I won't stay there again as there was a cattle barn right behind it! Those cows bellowed all night! The Indian Nation Turnpike is a great road if a little pricey! I took it to Hugo and then 271 to Paris Texas. Back in Texas at last! From Paris I took Hwy 19 down to Athens then 31 to Corsicana and 35 down to Richland where I took 14 down to Mexia! Then Back "home" to Johnny & Carol's driveway. I had most of a month to visit before I had to be in Lewisville, Texas for my See's candy job.
More Later!
